Deer in the forest

Charles Vincent Barber (1784-1854) was a landscape painter and art teacher, and the eldest son of the artist Joseph Barber (see one of his watercolours in our collection here). Born in Birmingham, Barber was trained at his father’s school alongside fellow student David Cox, who became a close friend of Barber’s. Together the two artists regularly travelled to North Wales and produced numerous sketches there.

In 1809, Barber along with his younger brother Joseph Vincent Barber and the artist Samuel Lines, established a new school of life drawing, which eventually evolved into the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists and Birmingham School of Art. In 1816 Barber moved to Liverpool, where he continued to teach art and also became President of the Liverpool Academy of Arts from 1847-1853.

The landscape artists of the Birmingham School were particularly known for their portrayal of nature, such as depicting trees as if they were sitters for a portrait. Indeed, the tree in the middle of this watercolour, Deer in the forest, is so prominent that the viewer can be forgiven for overlooking the deer completely.

Further reading:

Mallalieu, H.L. (1986), The Dictionary of British Watercolour Artists up to 1920: Volume I – The Text, 2nd edition, Suffolk: Antique Collectors’ Club.